project ideas under $50.

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Princess Valiant

Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
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ok, lets get creative, so many are sitting at home and never do anything to their cars and the main reason for slow or no progress is usually money.

well that's my problem now

so this thread is to brainstorm and come up with ideas for things we can do to a project car if we have say max. 50 dollars to spend in two weeks time.

my idea is sand....sand paper is under that budget and can lead to progress.

what else have you guys done to keep progress alive when a budget is tight and time is plentiful.
 
RaniDart70 said:
ok, lets get creative, so many are sitting at home and never do anything to their cars and the main reason for slow or no progress is usually money.

well that's my problem now

so this thread is to brainstorm and come up with ideas for things we can do to a project car if we have say max. 50 dollars to spend in two weeks time.

my idea is sand....sand paper is under that budget and can lead to progress.

what else have you guys done to keep progress alive when a budget is tight and time is plentiful.
Click to expand...

HAH! I just posted a project that I started since I am broke again.
well under 50 bucks but the time was in the a couple of day range not hours.:D It should take me another day and a half to finish up the rest of the gauges

I'm doing a white face conversion on my 66 dart. I paid 20 buck for them to cutout a drawing I did for the speedometer cluster and now have it setup into the instrument cluster to see what else I can do. I still have to paint the speedometer numbers, temp,amp and fuel gauges to match but so far it looks good! so another 2 or 3 bucks for modeling brushes and some good white and black paint. then polish the lens and glue it back together.

View attachment DSCF4161.jpg

View attachment DSCF4162.jpg
 
Wait two weeks and then you'll have $100.

Does that count?

My $50 project this week is-

Buy used carpet set just to get the back (less worn) part, because my car is a floor mat car, the back is brittle, cracked, and 70% missing, and I can't find any place that sells fitted factory style floor mats. ...and I'm not even sure I want to put a mat back in, so not keen on paying full price for either.

I found one via ebay message to someone selling other parts, and it came yesterday.

Now to pull the seats...
 
YY1 said:
Wait two weeks and then you'll have $100.

Does that count?

My $50 project this week is-

Buy used carpet set just to get the back (less worn) part, because my car is a floor mat car, the back is brittle, cracked, and 70% missing, and I can't find any place that sells fitted factory style floor mats. ...and I'm not even sure I want to put a mat back in, so not keen on paying full price for either.

I found one via ebay message to someone selling other parts, and it came yesterday.



Now to pull the seats...
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cant say i have ever seen a factory style floor mat
 
demonmike70 said:
I converted my amp gauge to volt meter for under $50,volt gauge at autozone,$27
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was the original amp gauge not working or did you want to bypass and eliminate the original gauge?

i have heard of a lot of people bypassing the original one
 
Not as nice as 66Dvert's but I have less than $ 50 in my cluster for my 64 Dart. Now I am polishing and repairing exterior stainless mouldings.
 

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clean, clean, clean

I usually get many projects going (motorcycle, craft, costume, fix broken things around the house) and end up with tool and materials all over the garage. When I do not want to spend money I just clean and organize.

This could apply to cleaning parts that are off the car as well. degreasing is cheap.

I like the sanding idea, just gloves and sandpaper is all you need.
 
Back in Time said:
Not as nice as 66Dvert's but I have less than $ 50 in my cluster for my 64 Dart. Now I am polishing and repairing exterior stainless mouldings.
Click to expand...

Man I don't know about that but thanks,, your looks mighty good too!
I like the way you finished the bezel.
here's mine almost done except for the numbers in the clear lense
View attachment DSCF4179.jpg

it's getting there.
 
My project is to fill up the tank so I can drive it a couple
of days this weekend.:D

At 11 mpg on the highway it doesn't last long.

About 7 mpg in town.
 
Tony Fields said:
My project is to fill up the tank so I can drive it a couple
of days this weekend.:D

At 11 mpg on the highway it doesn't last long.

About 7 mpg in town.
Click to expand...


yup that's a good plan lol

my slanty gets 16 mpg ....but unfortunately the only cruising I get to do is on the way to school or work LOL.

I really need to get a modern econo box that gets 40 MPG ....but my dart is my only transportation ....... oh well, at least I can still cruise ...even if it is rushed in the morning to get there on time LOL
 
i'm sure there are others out there with crummy looking rear decks with speaker holes hacked thru them. 4 x 8 pc. of hardboard @ home depot - abt $8. 2 yards of vinyl @ local fabric shop - abt $20. some contact cement - sorry, my buddy supplied it, but i think you can stay under budget. i also cut a new spare tire cover out of the hardboard. there ,rani, that will keep you busy for an eve.
 
66Dvert said:
Man I don't know about that but thanks,, your looks mighty good too!
I like the way you finished the bezel.
here's mine almost done except for the numbers in the clear lense
View attachment 1714658313

it's getting there.
Click to expand...

Thanks,I started out wanting to do white face on the gauges also but decided at the last minute to do the black.I think the white gauge faces look classy.
 
Wash your project car. Just seeing it clean might spark a new interest.
 
RaniDart70 said:
was the original amp gauge not working or did you want to bypass and eliminate the original gauge?

i have heard of a lot of people bypassing the original one
Click to expand...
I bypassed the working gauge to stop future damage. I don't use it as daily driver but I am out almost ever night going to cruise nights.i also have a thread with pictures of finish gauge.
 
Back in Time said:
Thanks,I started out wanting to do white face on the gauges also but decided at the last minute to do the black.I think the white gauge faces look classy.
Click to expand...
thanks
nobody make them for mine so I thought I'd give it a go. I still have a good original dash that I can put in if I get tired of this one. It didn't cost over 30 bucks total to do but the time doing the changeover involved was umm tedious in the extreme and I'm almost done. just have to polish the lenses and black out the numbers. I may have a better way to do the speedometer in the works (that is if my idea proves itself) which will save a ton of time but the lenses will still take about 6 hours of work to change from white to black letters total time will be down to 1 1/2 days from 3 days counting paint drying time.

here is the difference
View attachment WP_20130921_001.jpg
 
RaniDart70 said:
cant say i have ever seen a factory style floor mat
Click to expand...

That's what all the carpet vendors say!

It's a floor mat like a taxi or cop car would have had back then.

A real "low cost" option.

...but the car also came with PS, PDB, and A/C!
 
Buy a project car...

I picked this one up for $50 over 10 years ago




It just screams 340 / 833 / 8.75" Project, with the Leaf Springs & solid rear axle. I went a different way, and gathered up all the parts to convert it to a 2.2L Turbo, 5-Speed, AWD.

It hasn't seen sunlight in over 8 years, been stashed away in one of my garages awaiting the last pieces I needed to put it back together. A pair of fenders and a Bumper frame (the fiberglass frame that goes inside the nose cone)

I've been thinking long and hard about pulling it out of storage, hammering out the front fenders and throwing some flat black on the front clip (SS Cuda/Dart style) and driving it around like that. I probably have the only one within a 300 mile radius, if not further.
 
74Dusted said:
Buy a project car...

I picked this one up for $50 over 10 years ago




It just screams 340 / 833 / 8.75" Project, with the Leaf Springs & solid rear axle. I went a different way, and gathered up all the parts to convert it to a 2.2L Turbo, 5-Speed, AWD.

It hasn't seen sunlight in over 8 years, been stashed away in one of my garages awaiting the last pieces I needed to put it back together. A pair of fenders and a Bumper frame (the fiberglass frame that goes inside the nose cone)

I've been thinking long and hard about pulling it out of storage, hammering out the front fenders and throwing some flat black on the front clip (SS Cuda/Dart style) and driving it around like that. I probably have the only one within a 300 mile radius, if not further.
Click to expand...


That doesn't look to be a $50.00 projected there, Dusted. lol
 
Small things.

The kid didn't have a lot of money when he got his Duster (he still doesn't, at least not yet) so we sat about cleaning and restoring things like the taillights and grille. Now, they sit in bubble wrap all crated up, waiting for the day they'll go back in.
 
Rampage-

FINALLY an "el camino/ranchero" stle Mopar...and it's FWD :(

Seriously, though. Not too bad, and as stated, factory turbo parts avvailable.
 
Another good thread by Rani :cheers: and some real cool ideas here :thumblef:
I remember getting my 85 Ramcharger a family member sold me and I was
broke and wanted to do something to it and spend a few hours out side with it.
Not knowing much about it because I bought it with out a engine I found myself
enjoying washing and cleaning all the crud from it sitting for years , then I woke
up the next morning with a cup of coffee in my hand and looked out the window at it
I was stunned how well the old Ram Wagon looked :shock: and :happy2:
I drove to town and picked up a tub of grease and some white lithium grease and
enjoyed pulling my front wheels and bearings, I packed all the bearing and spindle
cleaned all and any crud I could see as I sat in each fender well, I got the grease gun
out and hit all my zerts ball joints and drive line.. lubed up
the door hinges and anythong that move on a hing :thumblef:
then he sat for about a year awaiting
a good used rv 318 out of a 3/4 tun truck,
I was so glad I did this before Creed and I
got him running and on the road, I think I saved some bad
wear by doing this now that
I have went back and thought of it Rani :-k sometimes
we neglect these things and I am glad
I got board and wanted to do something to my Ramcharger
even if it was wrong :D... I bet I saved myself a few bucks by
just wanting to do something that day, becouse he stay's busy
on the road now :thumblef:

I guess I was a grease monkey that day Rani :hello2:
cost = $15.00 counting gas for Victoria to go to town
for a tub of blue grease and lube .
 
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